If you're looking to save some money on your holiday travel arrangements, we definitely suggest shopping around and doing your homework, but the folks at The Simple Dollar have another suggestion: pick up the phone and call the hotel manager where you want to stay. Often they have the power to authorize discount rates.

With busy holiday travelers and tons of hotels well booked, I was skeptical that calling a hotel directly would result in anything more than being redirected to a national reservations line, but it's difficult to argue with these results:

Our friends had chosen a hotel online and booked a room, so we decided to just stay at the same hotel for that weekend. However, when I went to book that room online, I was stunned at the price. I didn't want to pay that much.

So, I placed a call to that hotel. I spoke to a receptionist, and then to a manager, about reserving a room for that weekend. I told him that our budget was limited and that we were considering staying at another hotel (presumably their main competition) as well as a bed and breakfast in the area.

The manager almost immediately offered me a rate that was about 40% of what I could find online. I agreed to the rate and placed the reservation, and I received a confirmation email shortly thereafter confirming the rate.

The post explains that this tip works best when you're not traveling to highly populated or popular destinations, so it's more likely to get you a discount if you're looking for a room in the suburbs near your family's house than a hotel on the strip in Las Vegas. You should also include bed and breakfasts in your research, as they're usually more flexible with pricing. The post also notes that you shouldn't be afraid to directly ask for a rate—cut to the chase, ask for what you want, and let them grant or deny it. Obviously, you should still do your homework, but this might shave a few bucks off of your travel plans, giving you more cash to actually enjoy your trip.